Mauritius environment minister resigns over graft allegations

PORT LOUIS, March 23 (Reuters) - The environment minister of
Mauritius was forced to resign on Wednesday due to corruption
allegations, saying he was the victim of a conspiracy to bring
down the government.

Raj Dayal was asked to resign by Prime Minister Anerood
Jugnauth after an audio recording, aired on a private radio
station, appeared to show him asking for money from a
businessman who was seeking to develop a piece of land.

"It's a conspiracy against me to destabilise the government.
I have decided to step down. The truth will prevail," Dayal told
reporters.

The prime minister's office said Dayal had been asked to
step down while an inquiry is conducted by the Independent
Commission Against Corruption.

Graft scandals are relatively rare in Mauritius, an Indian
Ocean island state some 2,000 km (1,200 miles) off the southeast
coast of Africa.
(Reporting by Jean Paul Arouff; Editing by Drazen Jorgic and
Robin Pomeroy)